OM Sri Sai Ram How to Radiate the LOVE of Sri Sathya Sai’s JYOTI-Reflection in our hearts Many are distraught and some of us are at a loss upon the “passing away” of the physical body of our Dear Swami, even though Swami Himself indicated a number of times that the material body is bound to perish sooner or later. Even Sri Rama and Sri Krishna cast off their mortal frames in their time. We cannot grieve forever. The maximum period of mourning in the scriptures is 40 days after which all of us will get on with our lives. We must conduct ourselves such that we become the torch-bearers of the maxim “Love All— Serve All”. How should we conduct ourselves such that we all serve to reflect His instruction to all of us: “YOUR LIFE is My Message”? How to emanate Divinely brilliant light-rays from our being which are enough to set people thinking: “If this individual devotee’s light-ray is so bright, how much brighter will His Sun— Sai-Baba be???”. The PuruSha suuktam resonates a somewhat similar thought when it says: “etaavaan asya mahimaa— ato jyaayaamsh cha puuruShaH!” If such a small fraction itself (Creation) is so great, how much Greater will be its Creator-PuuruShaH!!! To achieve this, every thought, word, deed of ours must pass the litmus test of “five human values”. Love in speech is Sathya

—Speak Lovingly always, Speak the Truth. Speak only that Truth which is not unpleasant or hurtful sathyam bruuyaat, priiyam bruuyaat; na bruuyaat a-priiyam sathyam

Love in action is Dharma

— Do everything with LOVE, always. Do that which is Right, always. If confused, remember: “preyas is what you like, shreyas is what is Right” Swami exhorts us to choose the shreyas over preyas every time.

Love in thought is Shaanti

—Allow God-thoughts to pre-dominate, think positively always. Thoughts are the starting point of everything. To enable God-thoughtflow all the time, CHANT. Chant the Lord’s Name, Veda suuktams, naama-sankiirtanams, stotrams, & such. Sing bhajans. A stage will be reached where the chant will resonate continuously on its own. All negative thoughts will be turned away at the entrance itself. Shaanti is now experienced all the time.

Love in understanding is Ahimsaa Understand this: “If I were in that person’s shoes, how would I feel?” I must not even think hurtful thoughts, let alone hurtful words & deeds. Do unto others as you would expect them to behave towards you. Even better: Just DO (unto others) with LOVE. Expect nothing in return. (excessive grieving or crying is a form of himsaa or violence to one’s own mind-praana-body complex.) This shows us the way to lead a life suffused with Prema or LOVE for everyone and everything. If we wish to LOVE everyone, we have to necessarily start by loving ourselves. Let us all stop grieving and start LOVING. Sairam !